UK Against Fluoridation

Friday, November 29, 2013

Thank you to Byron Bay Councillors

I WOULD like to thank the Byron Bay Councillors who voted against fluoride. At least they are considering their citizens overall health and not being swayed by financial gain from the Health Department.

The Byron Bay Council are also complying with the law. Under Article 6, sect 1 of the UNESCO Universal Declaration of Bioethics and Human Rights states: Any preventive, diagnostic and/or therapeutic medical intervention is only to be carried out with the prior, free and informed consent of the person concerned, based on adequate information.

The consent should, where appropriate, be express and may be withdrawn by the person concerned at any time and for any reason without disadvantage of prejudice.

Under Article 6, sect 1 of the UNESCO Universal Declaration of Bioethics and Human Rights, over 2000 people who signed petitions, in the Ballina area, have not given their consent to the Ballina Shire Council, to treat them and their families with preventative or therapeutic measures for dental health via our water supply.

This is also a breach of our criminal law.

There are over 10000 science professionals worldwide who have rejected fluoride on the grounds that it can cause heath problems and yet Dr McDonald (Labour MP), Dr Brendon White, plus others who the Councillors are taking notice of, say they can't find any evidence that it harms people.

We can read, and the professionals against fluoride are a lot more highly qualified in the research of fluoride than our Councillors and public servants.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Dr Stan Litras Dentists speak out Against Fluoride 22 Sep 2013

Hamilton City Council has deferred a decision on whether or not to re-fluoridate the city's water supply.Seven councillors voted to remove fluoride from the water in June, however, a subsequent referendum in October saw 70% of voters asking for the chemical to be put back.
Councillors today voted seven to five to delay the decision until the outcome of a High Court decision in Taranaki.
One of the options considered today was a plan, costed by reluctant staff at between $200,000-$300,000, to install an unfluoridated tap at the water treatment plant. Those staff have raised a suite of concerns about the idea.
Explaining the likely cost and unknown demand, staff said fluoride was added part way through the treatment process, with other treatment stages later.
Therefore a "secondary pathway" would need to be be built for unfluoridated water to ensure compliance with New Zealand's drinking water standards.
The initial estimate included the physical infrastructure and operating costs.
Staff instead suggested an alternative - an unfluoridated municipal drinking water fountain - that would still be likely to cost $15,000, and $3000 a year.
The cost of the city's drawn out wrangle over fluoride is beginning to mount.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

SWEET LITTLE GIRL SHOWS US A SIMPLE AND INEXPENSIVE WAY TO REMOVE FLUORIDE FROM YOUR DRINKING WATER

How Safe is Borax
Borax has no toxic fumes and is safe for the environment. Borax can irritate skin and should not be ingested.

Another web site this:

Borax's healing and preventative properties

Borax is a potent and effective remedy that deserves to be widely used, and should be in every home. It is so cheap and effective that pharmaceutical companies have done their utmost to discredit it. They have managed to get it banned in Europe and America. However in China, Japan, Turkey and Russia, for example, it is widely acknowledged and used. In those countries, pharmaceutical companies find it much harder to lobby (bribe, threaten and lie to) lawmakers and regulatory agencies.

Protect's you from Fluorides. Borax protects against the accumulation of fluorides in the body; is effective as an antidote in fluoride toxicity; and can remove fluorides from the body. (1,2,3,4,5)
Anti-microbial. Borax is toxic to insects, parasites, protozoa and bacteria.
Fungicide. Effective against moulds and fungi, internally and externally.
Hormone normaliser. Stimulates the production of hormones.
As an Immune system enhancer.
Reduction and control of inflammation.
Aphrodisiac for men and women. See low libido.
Toxin removal. Powerful chelator of heavy metals. (8)
Stabiliser of calcium, copper and magnesium levels, inhibits calcification.
Improves attention, both short and long term memory, perception, hand-eye coordination, and manual dexterity.
Borax as a remedy

Borax has successfully been used as a remedy for a variety of ailments. (7, 9, 10) It is a popular remedy at Grow Youthful. You can use it for both prevention and treatment.

Rheumatoid arthritis. This is and inflammatory autoimmune disease whereby the body attacks its own joints, causing degeneration and deformity. It is more common in women, and can occur at any age. Often it develops into osteo arthritis. Work by Prof Roger Wyburn-Mason identified an amoeba in the joint as the cause in certain susceptible people. Boron is an effective control and cure.
Osteo arthritis is a wearing away of the joints, particularly those that have been subject to trauma, infection or over-use when injured. It is more common in men. The cartilage or tough fibrous matter around the joint wears away and the bones rub against each other, causing pain and and further permanent damage to the joint.
Osteoporosis (decalcification of the bones) or osteopenia.
Blood lipid disorders (hypertension (high blood pressure), arterial diseases).
Obesity.
Cancer. (6)
Swollen gums or loose teeth (pyorrhoea). This is a bit like arthritis of the teeth and gums.
Spondylitis (arthritis of the spine with inflammation in the joints). Calcium is lost from the spinal vertebrae, leading to fusion and disc degeneration. Spondylitis responds to mineral treatments, particularly boron.
Gout. Boron is an effective remedy.

LYN HUMPHREYS

Fluoride is not a medical treatment because it can be refused, a bioethical expert has informed the High Court in New Plymouth.

Professor of Biomedical Ethics at the University of Otago Professor John McMillan's ethical analysis of fluoridation of public water supplies was yesterday tabled in support of South Taranaki District Council's decision in December to put fluoride in Patea and Waverley's water supplies.

In what is seen as a test case, anti-fluoride groups, represented by Christchurch-based New Health New Zealand counsel Lisa Hansen, have called for the courts to quash the council's decision.

On Monday New Health NZ submitted the decision was unlawful because the council had no legal right to add fluoride to its water supply.

Fluoridation breached section 11 of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act which gave people the right to refuse to undergo medical treatment, Ms Hansen said.

Yesterday following two days of extensive and opposing legal argument Justice Rodney Hansen reserved his decision on the judicial review.

The court heard from both the STDC and the attorney-general yesterday who disputed New Health's stance.

STDC counsel Duncan Laing said the addition of fluoride was demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society. It did not breach the Bill of Rights.

This view was supported by Professor McMillan who concluded that fluoridation was not medical treatment because it could be refused, Mr Laing said.

And residents who received their council's fluoridated water which was sent to a meter or toby at the roadside were not forced to drink it, he said.

In his submissions, Austin Powell, counsel representing the attorney-general, said a claim in Ireland was dismissed because it was found there was no obligation to consume the fluoridated water supply and it could easily be filtered from the water.

New Zealanders had the right to the highest standard of health and sometimes this might mean employing interventions to do that, Mr Powell said.

Mr Laing said the Ministry of Health supported fluoridation.

Other affidavits before the court included one from public health dentistry specialist Dr Robin Whyman who stated the most reliable scientific studies indicated that fluoridation to the levels permitted in New Zealand was both safe and effective.

His view was that fluoridation was a small adjustment in the natural mineral content in water to replicate levels that occurred naturally in many places in the world but at all times remained very low.

Taranaki District Health Board chief medical adviser Dr Gregory Simmons outlined inequalities in oral health faced by Maori and lower socio-economic groups and the potential benefits from fluoridation for residents in the two towns.

A Patea and Hawera dental surgeon, Ms Sandra Pryor, wrote of the poor state of oral health in South Taranaki she saw through 18 years of practising there.

The council had the right to add fluoride to the water supplies under the Local Government Act and the Health Act, Mr Laing argued.

The Drinking Water Standard for New Zealand 2005 stated, for oral health reasons, that the fluoride content was in the range of 0.7 to 1.0mg/litre.

Contrary to New Health's position, the addition of fluoride did not relate to enforcement, inspection or licensing so was not a regulatory function, Mr Laird said.

Parliament's decision to give local authorities discretion whether to fluoridate water involved a weighing up of private interests against the public good as well as a review of scientific and medical opinion.

Local decision-making on fluoridation had the support of the Nuffield Council of Bioethics. The council was the leading independent body that examined bioethical issues for medicine and biology.

The 1957 Commission of Inquiry also recommended that decisions on water fluoridation should be made by local authorities.

Dr Simmons said Patea and Waverley were among the 10 per cent of the most deprived communities in New Zealand.

The area had significantly worse tooth decay than the rest of Taranaki.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

NZ - Fluoridation benefits tough to confirm, admits judge

NEW PLYMOUTH - A High Court judge, tasked with deciding whether it is legal for local councils to fluoridate, admits it is hard to know whether fluoride in water prevents tooth decay.

Justice Rodney Hansen told those at the judicial review in New Plymouth there are clearly two schools of thought, which have produced contradictory statistics on fluoridation.

A health organisation is challenging the South Taranaki's District Council's power to fluoridate Patea and Waverley's water.

While the debate is a legal one around councils' authority to fluoridate, the science of the matter has been addressed in the arguments.

New Health New Zealand's lawyer Lisa Hansen says the efficacy and safety of fluoridation is unresolved, so local councils should not be allowed to do it.

Furthermore, she quotes a study showing twice as many children get discoloured spots on the teeth, or fluorosis, when they drink fluoridated water.

However the council's lawyer, Duncan Laing, quotes research saying this is the only risk associated with fluoridation, and it is only cosmetic.

He refers to a number of independent and government-employed experts who say there is no alternative that better prevents tooth decay.

He says taking fluoride tablets, or banning soft drinks for example, would not be as effective.

Furthermore, free dental treatment for under 18s has not proven to solve the problem of tooth decay.

Mr Laing quotes a New Zealand Oral Health Survey which found 17 per cent of two- to 11-year-olds and more than 35 per cent of adults have experienced untreated decay.

He says there is a clear link between fluoridation and reducing tooth decay, and the decision to fluoridate Waverley and Patea followed a democratic process within the Local Government and Health Acts.

Justice Hansen is expected to release his landmark decision into whether it is legal for councils to fluoridate in the new year.

Monday, November 25, 2013

Lithium, a powerful mental health treatment, could be added to water supplies by New Zealand's local councils under the same vague rules that allow them to add fluoride.
That was one of the arguments anti-fluoridation group New Health NZ put to a test court case being heard in New Plymouth today to decide if South Taranaki District Council has the right to put fluoride into water supplies at Patea and Waverley.
Such an idea was once floated in the US, the group's barrister, Lisa Hansen, told the High Court, at what is expected to be a two-day hearing that may ultimately decide the future of the fluoridation debate.
One of her key arguments was that New Zealand has no law allowing councils to introduce fluoride, and the practice is merely a convention established by a court case half a century ago.
She said fluoridation was a therapeutic action, unlike adding chlorine to make water safe, and its use denied people the right to choose whether they wanted to take a medication - one that was highly unlikely to benefit them.
After listening to an hour and a half of historical, scientific and medical submissions from Ms Hansen, Justice Rodney Hansen (no relation) advised her that the hearing needed to move on to the legal issues, as he was in no position to settle all the unresolved scientific and medical issues.

Ms Hansen maintained her position that it was important for the judge to hear historical aspects of the fluoride debate, but took Justice Hansen's hint and switched to key legal points in the case.
As the plaintiff, New Health began the hearing - attended by a dozen spectators - by referring to a massive pile of documents that it would submit as evidence.
Ms Hansen reminded the court a leading court case on fluoridation happened exactly 50 years ago when Lower Hutt City Council was challenged over the practice, which began in New Zealand in 1954 in Hastings.

The case went to appeal and eventually to the Privy Council in London, with the council winning, thus establishing a general and implied power to councils.
Today, 48 per cent of New Zealanders lived in communities with fluoridation, put into water supplies by 22 of the country's 67 local authorities. However, today's context was quite different, legally, ethically and in terms of the science, she said.
Ms Hansen referred to research that showed fluoride taken via the water supply did nothing to prevent tooth decay because the method did not provide enough of the element to make an impact.
On the other hand, gels and toothpaste containing fluoride could have a beneficial effect. They provided "topical" (local) protection, rather than the "systemic"(ingested) approach used by fluoridation.
Excessive fluoride carried risks of dental fluorosis, which could leave teeth chalky and mottled. One research outcome showed fluoridation doubled the incidence of this complication, she said.
Where fluoridation was used overseas, it was done so under a statute, but New Zealand did not have that.
If fluoridation was ever to be lawful, there would need to be a specific provision to permit it and no other substances, such as lithium or contraceptives.
Her first legal argument concerned a council's powers under local government and health statutes.
Ms Hansen maintained the use of fluoridation amounted to a regulatory function, and as such was a legislative one beyond the powers of local councils; one held by Parliament.
She then traversed the Bill of Rights Act and provisions protecting a person's right to autonomy and self-determination, which were breached by fluoridation.
Nobody living in a community where water was fluoridated could escape it, unless they stayed at home and produced their own food, she said.
Further, fluoridation amounted to a medical treatment under New Zealand legislation and should be subject to provisions of medical statutes. By the same argument, the fluoride compounds used by councils were legally medicines, Ms Hansen said.

The hearing continues, with arguments yet to be heard by the defendant council, represented by Duncan Laing and Hamish Harwood.
The Crown Law Office is represented by Austin Powell, who is keeping a watching brief for the Attorney-General, and who is expected to make submissions on human rights aspects.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Warning! Your Water Supply May Be Infected With Hazardous Waste!

The Hoopa Valley quietly followed the lead of France, Sweden, Belgium and dozens of other nations from around the world when it stopped putting fluoride into the water supply earlier this year.
By KRISTAN KORNS, Two Rivers Tribune

The new Tribal Council voted unanimously for the change just a few weeks into their terms.
Murphy Lott, the senior water treatment operator for the local Public Utilities District (PUD), said, “I was told by the Manager that the new Council voted to stop using it, and I agree with that decision.”
“Most of the European Union has outlawed it,” Lott said. “Most of the countries don’t want it in their water.”
Large-scale water fluoridation started in the United States in the 1940s. It was put forward as a way to prevent cavities in children, after studies showed that fluoride helped strengthen teeth.

Some countries, like Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, added fluoride to their water supplies too, but have since stopped. Other countries, like Belgium and France, never allowed fluoride to be added to drinking water in the first place.

Doctor Paul Tramini, with the French Public Health Service (Service de Santé Publique), said water fluoridation has never been authorized in France for both technical and ethical reasons.
“Do not oblige an entire population to ingest fluoride, without having the freedom of choice,” Tramini said.
Christian Legros, the director of Belgaqua in Brussels, Belgium, said, “This water treatment has never been of use in Belgium and will never be (we hope so) into the future.”

“The main reason for that is the fundamental position of the drinking water sector that it is not its task to deliver medicinal treatment to people. This is the sole responsibility of health services,” Legros said.
Adding fluoride as medicine to water that will be used to water lawns, or wash dishes, or clean a load of laundry doesn’t make much sense, and it’s impossible to control the precise dose that reaches people who do drink the water.

Lott said, “You don’t know who’s drinking it or how much is in their system, and this has been shown to cause problems for people.”
The Willow Creek Community Service District (WCCSD), which serves the town located just south of the Hoopa Valley, also doesn’t add fluoride to their water.
Lonnie Danel, WCCSD’s former chief water operator and current manager, said, “No, we never added fluoride to our water supply.”
“There was a dentist in town who was pushing to have it added 10 years ago,” Danel said. “A lot of people didn’t want it, and there was also the cost factor.”
Fifty miles to the west of the Valley, only two out of seven water districts add fluoride to their water supplies.
Eureka and Arcata add fluoride to their water. McKinleyville, Blue Lake, Manilla, Fieldbrook, and Humboldt Community Service District (CSD) don’t.

Carol Rische, general manager of regional water wholesaler Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District, said, “Years and years ago it was decided to leave it as a local decision.”
Because of hundreds of new studies that link high levels of fluoride with diabetes, male infertility, some cancers, and problems with brain development, more and more local communities in the U.S. are choosing to leave fluoride out of their drinking water.

Scientific journal Environmental Health Perspectives published a review of dozens of studies conducted in China. They found a connection between drinking high-fluoride water and reduced brain function in humans.

According to the review, “Children in high-fluoride areas had significantly lower IQ scores than those who lived in low-fluoride areas.”

For many people, the benefits of fluoride in strengthening teeth and preventing cavities are outweighed by the risks of increased male infertility, diabetes, cancer, and lower Intelligence Quotient (IQ) scores.
Councilmember Marjorie Colegrove said, “People know it’s not good for you.”
Hoopa Tribal Chairperson Danielle Vigil-Masten said, “We said, ‘why would we pay to poison our own people?’ and voted to stop putting fluoride in the water.”
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is also looking into its “risk and exposure assessments for fluoride.”

According to the EPA’s website, their Office of Water “announced its intent to review the drinking water regulations for fluoride to determine whether revisions are appropriate.”
In the meantime, leftover twenty-pound bags of fluoride are stacked on a wooden pallet next to the water treatment plant’s two main microfilters in Hoopa.

Each bag is marked with a skull and crossbones, along with the word “toxic” (毒物) in English and Chinese.

Lott looked at the bags and shook his head. “The whole thing about a treatment plant is you’re supposed to be taking the nasty stuff out of the water, not putting a toxic chemical back in.”

- See more at: http://www.tworiverstribune.com/2013/11/tribal-council-votes-to-stop-adding-fluoride-to-hoopa-water/#sthash.2iGdBboA.dpuf

The New South Wales Opposition says a choice by a chamber in the state's north to keep fluoride out of its water supply indicates the Health Minister's approach to the issue has fizzled.

The frequency of adolescence tooth rot in the Byron Shire is around the most exceedingly awful in the state.

Restriction Health Spokesman, Dr Andrew MacDonald, acquainted a bill with parliament prior in the not so distant future that might give the Government the ability to constrain committees to fluoridate their water. It was however contradicted by the government.

He said, "We've done the carrot, now is the right time for the stick. The kids of the Byron Shire are significantly more paramount than anybody's pride. We require those kids to have their open health secured by the New South Wales Government.”

State Health Minister Jillian Skinner rather offered a $7.5 million motivation bundle to urge boards to add fluoride to their water.

However, yesterday the Byron Shire Council voted 5-3 against a movement to fluoridate.

Dr MacDonald says it is currently time for the Minister to underpin his bill.

It was added that that is their employment; there is no decision, there is no reason, the time it now, time for the New South Wales Government to stop this bazaar and assume ownership over the soundness of the kids of the north coast.

By Terri Wong

DEAR MISS BEHAVIN': My poodle puppy, Jimmy, loves to kiss visitors. However, he has dog breath. We have scheduled a veterinarian visit. But I know Jimmy needs regular brushing. Any tips on making teeth-cleaning fun for Jimmy?

A: Trying to brush an unhealthy mouth is a nightmare. It's good that you already scheduled a vet visit. Hopefully, the vet will confirm that Jimmy's mouth is healthy and will offer details on brushing instructions if Jimmy has any specific requirements. Dental hygiene improves Jimmy's well-being by reducing bacteria from entering the stomach and bloodstream, plus it eliminates "dog breath." Here are tips for a brushing routine.

• Use a pet-formulated toothpaste with palatable flavors like chicken. Never use human toothpaste, as this holds high levels of fluoride that can cause severe stomach aches.

Johnson & Johnson blame EU rules as they withdraw Euthymol until a new, reformulated product, is ready to come back to the shelves early in 2014

A popular toothpaste has been withdrawn from shops while it is reformulated – prompting a black market rush for the product online.

Euthymol was removed because of a new European Cosmetics Regulation, said the makers Johnson & Johnson.

Yet more than 500 people have taken to a Facebook page dedicated to swapping tips and advice on how to stock up on the distinctive fluoride-free pink toothpaste, with some admitting to hoarding hundreds of tubes.

As stocks run out in chemists and supermarkets, shoppers have gone online to buy the toothpaste – albeit at an inflated price. Tubes are changing hands for as much as £9.99 on eBay, six times higher than the recommended retail price – with packs of six selling for £49.99.

Peter Brookes wrote on the Facebook page: “Gutted, I can’t find any near me. I can’t squeeze this tube any more.”

22 Nov 2013There's no plans to put fluoride in Wales' water supply, but Welsh Government will continue to review the issue

Adding fluoride to the water supply 'has a significant effect on reducing health inequalities'

There is strong scientific evidence to show that adding fluoride to the water supply has a significant effect on reducing health inequalities, the Chief Dental Officer, has said.

David Thomas said that the Welsh Government currently had no plans to fluoridate the water supply, but said he had discussed the issue with Health Minister Mark Drakeford and it was something the Welsh Government will continue to review.

Critics have argued against its introduction, claiming that it is “mass medication” and have raised concerns about its health impact.

But giving evidence to the National Assembly’s Health and Social Care Committee, Mr Thomas said: “In terms of fluoridation, the Welsh Government policy line is that there are no plans to fluoridate the water supply.

“I have discussed the issue with the Minister. There are some particular political and financial issues that would make fluoridation difficult, but it’s something that we will continue to keep under review because obviously there is evidence that the health of the whole community is improved with fluoridation.

“From a scientific point of view, fluoride in the water supply certainly provides an improvement in oral health for all members of the population. One of the things that the research shows is that it has an effect on the haves and the have-nots, so it has a fantastic effect on reducing inequality.”

His comments come after statistics released showed that the number of children and babies aged between 0-4 being receiving fillings or sealant restoration has doubled to reach 1,080 in the past four years.

Mr Thomas also told the committee that recent figures, which also show just 54% of the population visited an NHS dentist in the past two years, did not show the full picture.

He said: “The 54% of the population that are going to dentists – that’s the NHS. That doesn’t include 10% of the population, usually deprived adults and children, seen by community dental services and approximately 20% go to private contract. So there is a bigger percentage of the population going to the dentist than reflected in the NHS figures.

“We accept accessibility for patients who have not been to the dentist for a while is patchy, but we continue to work with health boards on this issue. The one thing we are sure about that if a patient is in pain, all local health boards in Wales offer emergency dental services though the week and all local health boards have services available on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays.”

He also said great strides were being made in reducing tooth decay in children through the Designed to Smile scheme.

He said: “[Initial evidence shows] there was a 17% reduction in decay rates in children who are participating in Design to Smile. We need to validate this...[but] we believe we have some initial evidence that it’s working. The children that access Designed to Smile are usually the most deprived children in Wales and this is the way we will reduce dental decay here.”

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

TDS and senators who consume water from the Oireachtas canteen are being exposed to a "dangerous level" of fluoride, according to a new study.

An expert has found that the tap water used by politicians and officials in Leinster House exceeds the maximum level of fluoride allowed under law.

Environmental scientist Declan Waugh took a sample of the water provided in the Oireachtas canteen during a recent visit and concluded that it contained 0.9 milligrams of fluoride per litre – which is above the permitted statutory limit of 0.8 milligrams per litre.

Politicians who have been using the water to make cups of tea are now exposed to greater health risks, Mr Waugh said last night.

The results of the tests were sent to the Oireachtas authorities yesterday.

The practice of adding fluoride to the country's water supply – done in order to prevent tooth decay –has divided politicians and health experts for a number of years.

The issue was the subject of a Dail debate earlier this month during which a cohort of TDs called for a ban on the practice. A private members bill, put forward by Sinn Fein TD Brian Stanley, was opposed by the Government andFianna Fail. Other opponents to the bill said the practice has been endorsed by bodies such as the World Health Organisation.

TOLERABLE

"It is a scientific fact that the upper safe tolerable levels of exposure to fluoride are vastly exceeded by individuals living in the Republic of Ireland," Mr Waugh told the Herald.

"I will be writing to ministers and TDs later in the week to inform them that, as far as I'm concerned, they are criminally liable for the negative health effects to people as a result of fluoridation."

Fianna Fail senator Averil Power, who has even differed with her party colleagues on the matter, told the Herald that she believed the issue should be subject to a fresh review.

"People need to have full confidence in their water supply. I believe that a fresh review of the fluoridation of our water should be carried out in light of the fact that many other countries have stopped adding fluoride to their tap water due to health concerns," she said.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Britons should be given vaccination record cards and be advised it is their “civic duty” to get immunised, experts recommend on Tuesday, warning that increasing migration, an ageing population and the growth of antibiotic resistance is increasing the threat posed by infectious diseases.

...One suggestion with which the Government should not quibble is the transfer of responsibility for fluoridating community water supplies to the Ministry of Health and district health boards. This would ensure there is no repeat of the farcical withdrawal of fluoride in Hamilton and New Plymouth. A noisy minority would no longer be able to prey on the ineptitude of councillors. Decisions on fluoridation would, instead, be made on the basis of overwhelming scientific opinion. Referendums in Whakatane and Hastings last month confirmed that the switch from council control would be welcomed. Children's oral health is at stake......

The City of Cranbrook is in the process of settling a lawsuit regarding the fluoridation of Cranbrook's drinking water. While the city couldn't comment on the details as it is a legal matter being dealt with by the city's legal counsel, the city could confirm that a settlement was in the works.

Kevin Millership first brought the class action lawsuit forward in August. The suit sought damages for fluorosis caused by the city's fluoridation program that's been in place since 1967.

"The City of Cranbrook, through our legal counsel, is in discussion with Mr. Millership regarding his legal action and we are working together to come to a settlement," said Chris Zettel, the city's corporate communication officer.

Millership said that he has asked the city to hold a referendum in November 2014, with a process of education and consultation leading up to the referendum.

The city couldn't confirm whether the settlement included those stipulations or not....

An article by anti-fluoridation campaigner Walter Graham provoked a strong response with one reader pointing out that one of toothpaste’s constituent parts is used to make sarin gas. Here are two letters, which have been slightly abridged due to space constraints.

Stephen McMurray, Newtownabbey writes: I recently came across an article in your paper regarding fluoride. It is worth noting that despite the Government saying it is safe, only a few months ago, the Government was accusing the Syrian regime of using chemical weapons of mass destruction and the so-called proof was alleged documents which showed British companies had sold sodium fluoride to Syria. It’s a sad reflection of the media’s warmongering hypocrisy that when a foreign country that the Western powers want to invade use Sodium fluoride it is a chemical weapon and yet, when Western governments use it, it is called medication to improve oral health. Sodium fluoride, is indeed, used in making sarin gas. It is also used in toothpaste. In both cases it is toxic. Hydrofluorosilicic acid, is even more toxic and that is what the British, Irish and American Governments put into the water supply in certain areas to supposedly help with dental hygiene. It would be interesting to see if theChief Dental Officer,Mr Poots or most of the media could explain why, when this is put into toothpaste or the water supply this is not considered to be a chemical weapon attack by Governments against their own people particularly since sodium fluoride is so toxic that there is enough in a tube of toothpaste to kill a small child which is why the FDA in America have a poison warning on the tube. I must commend your paper on printing the excellent article which reveals the real truth about fluoride instead of the government’s propaganda and alerting the public to the dangers of this poison. A campaign to have fluoride removed from toothpaste and banned forever from our water supplies is needed.

Fluoride is a toxic industrial waste product that is a poison to your body even in trace amounts, yet it is added to the majority of US water supplies using the rationale that it helps prevent dental cavities.

The archaic practice continues even though it is now widely recognized that fluoride’s only justifiable benefit comes from topical contact with teeth – and eventhat is debatable.

To put it simply, there are FAR better options for decreasing tooth decay than ingesting a harmful industrial pollutant or using a topical poison like fluoride… in fact, new research suggests even chocolate extract would would make a better alternative.

Toothpaste that contains the naturally-occurring cacao extract theobromine was more effective at repairing and re-mineralizing exposed dentin (the tissue that makes up the bulk of your teeth below the enamel) than fluoride toothpaste
People who brushed their teeth with cacao-extract toothpaste twice a day for one week had “100 percent dental occlusion” with their tooth dentin becoming re-mineralized or repaired
Past research has also shown that the phytocompound found in chocolate known as theobromine works better than fluoride at repairing lesions in artificial enamel
There are safer and more effective solutions for dental health than fluoridated toothpaste (and fluoridated drinking water), including natural non-fluoride toothpastes and proper nutrition

Objectives: This demonstration programme tested topical use of xylitol as a possible oral health promoting regimen in infants at a Finnish Public Health Centre in 2002–2011. Methods: Parents (usually mothers) began once- or twice-daily administration of a 45% solution of xylitol (2.96 M) onto all available deciduous teeth of their children at the age of approximately 6–8 months. The treatment (xylitol swabbing), which continued till the age of approximately 36 months

(total duration 26–28 months), was carried out using cotton swabs or a children’s toothbrush; the approximate daily xylitol usage was 13.5 mg per each deciduous tooth. Results: At the age of 7 years, caries data on the deciduous dentition of 80 children were compared with those obtained from similar, untreated children (n= 90). Xylitol swabbing resulted in a signiﬁcant (P< 0.001) reduction in the incidence of enamel and dentine caries compared with the comparison subjects (relative risk 2.1 and 4.0, respectively; 95% conﬁdence intervals 1.42–3.09 and 2.01–7.98, respectively).

Similar ﬁndings were obtained when the children were 5 or 6 years old. The treatment reduced the need of tooth ﬁlling relative risk and 95% conﬁdence intervals at 7 years: 11.86 and 6.36–22.10, respectively; P< 0.001). Compared with untreated subjects, the oral counts of mutans streptococci were reduced signiﬁcantly (P< 0.001).

Conclusions: Considerable improvement in dental health was accomplished in infants participating in a topical at-home xylitol administration experiment, which was offered to families in the area by the Public Health Centre as a supplement to standard oral

health care. Caregiver assessment of the programme was mostly rated as high or satisfactory.

Child-rearing, as every parent knows, is fraught with difficult decisions. Why just this week, the five-year-old brought a letter home from school requesting permission for a check-up by a visiting dentist.

Sounds good, fine by me. Oh, and would it be OK for the dentist to paint my daughter’s perfect little white teeth with a permanent coating of fluoride?

Come again? This drastic decay-prevention procedure has apparently been officially approved by the Islamic Shari’ah Council for Muslims and the Charedi Health Forum for Orthodox Jews. As a practising Catholic, I’m not sure Kosher and Halal fluoride is any more appealing than the bog-standard Christian stuff.

Cue a lively kitchen table discussion about whether we want our daughter’s premolars tinkered with. “No!” cries my husband. “I’ve spent years pinning the wretched child down to brush her teeth – was it all for nothing?”

“No!” I agreed, for no better reason than painting teeth sounded too weird.

Cue a rare moment of parental accord, as we did the best for our daughter. Then I read the small print; “Children who have the treatment will receive a goody bag.”

My spouse caught my eye. I looked back, stricken.

“She’ll go mental if she doesn’t get a goody bag,” I whispered hoarsely. “She will come home and she will kill us in our beds.”

Friday, November 15, 2013

Q: I had my Honda Accord detailed, and when it was returned, I noticed significant water spots on my rear-view mirrors and the outside of the back window. I can only assume they were using hard water and did not wipe the windows fast enough. Although I'd like to hold them responsible, proving it was their fault is difficult. I have tried to remove the spots using a slightly diluted white vinegar solution, and also with a baking soda/vinegar mixture, with zero results. Is there any product to remedy this? Any suggestions, short of replacing the glass and mirrors?

— L.Q., Batavia, Ill.

A: We have a hunch the problem may have been caused by hydrofluoric acid (HF). It etches glass. Hydrofluoric acid is used in many automatic carwashes because it does an excellent job of removing brake dust, road grime and rust — and it is inexpensive. Diluted properly, it leaves cars sparking clean, but higher concentrations etch glass. We know of no way to remedy this. You may be able to feel the etching with your fingernail. The professional carwash industry generally decries HF, but some operators still insist on using it, especially to clean wheels. HF is insidiously dangerous, since it doesn't cause skin burns that you can feel as other acids do. Instead, it seeps through tissue, eats into bones and turns the calcium into calcium fluoride. It may take hours before the burn victim realizes it.

presume "detailed" means washed and serviced. I wonder if they use HF here?

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Water fluoridation report points to murky waters

“If in doubt, cut it out” - sentiments uttered by a local councillor following the publication of a new report into water fluoridation.

The report, which was published last week details the practice of fluoridation in the Irish water system and points to the practice being in breach of the human rights of Irish citizens.

The matter which has been addressed locally by Cllr Peggy Nolan (FG) for the last few years has become a bone of contention across the globe. With the emergence of more information in recent months, it appears now, that, mandatory fluoridation is in contravention of the Council of Europe’s ‘Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine’ (1997).

This new report which was conducted by former Tanaiste and Minister for the Environment, John Gormley concludes that “in light of all the evidence, and in particular considering the fluoride overexposure risk to bottle-fed babies, water fluoridation in Ireland should cease immediately”. It seems that the now 50-year-long practice of dosing the Irish population with hydrofluorosilicic acid through the public water supplies, must end pronto.

“It must be stopped; I believe that the practice is contributing to cancers and to Alzheimer’s,” Cllr Nolan told the Leader. “I have been lobbying now for the past 15 years to have fluoride removed from our water and it has fallen on deaf ears.”

The local area representative has attended numerous public meetings on the matter and has raised the issue at both town and county council level on several occasions .

“Mandatory fluoridation is detrimental to the health of the nation, and on numerous occasions I have sought the support of the members of the local authorities, to have the practice outlawed,” Cllr Nolan continued. “It is time now for the public to come forward and make their feelings known on what is simply a process of mass medication. The costs associated with this bad and unhealthy practice runs into the millions and as far as I am concerned that is money that would be much better spent on frontline services.

Fluoride Alert newsletter

The campaign to end fluoridation in Ireland is
quickly becoming one of the most exciting fluoride campaigns in the world. Led
by the positive creativity of Aisling Fitzgibbon (aka
“The Girl Against
Fluoride“), the Irish
campaign has generated an unprecedented level of public interest and support,
and what once seemed impossible (ending fluoridation) now seems within
reach.

In recent months, a bill
to end fluoridation has been introduced in parliament, a popular Irish magazine
(Hot
Press)
has begun to actively investigate the issue, and Aisling has found a talented
team of pro-bono attorneys to mount a bold new legal challenge to the national
mandate. The Irish campaigners received an added boost when news surfaced that a
parliamentary report
calling
for an end to fluoridation back in 2007 had been suppressed.

It is now distinctly conceivable that, just as
Israel
did
earlier this year, Ireland could end its fluoridation program. To help make this
dream a reality, however, Aisling and the Irish campaigners need our support.
That’s where The Naked
Calendar comes in!

The Naked
Calendar is full of colorful pictures of Aisling and others
getting naked to convey how forced fluoridation strips each person of their
right to be free from forced medication. The calendar is
available for
purchase
(14 Euro) on The Girl Against Fluoride website, and all proceeds will go to help Aisling’s
ongoing efforts to reach new audiences in the fluoridation campaign. Aisling
writes:

“I am The Girl Against Fluoride, the girl who is
taking the Irish Government to court in 2014 to reverse the 50 year policy of
mandatory water fluoridation. My team and I created a Naked Calendar to help pay
for expert witnesses who will testify against fluoride and also to educate
people about the risks of water fluoridation. Interspersed with pictures of
beautiful models are fact bubbles that tell the story about fluoride in the
water. The calendar can be bought on the website www.thegirlagainstfluoride.com It retails at 14 euro outside of Ireland including
post and packaging.”

FAN encourages everyone with the means to support
this great effort. A victory in Ireland will be a MAJOR blow to fluoridation
everywhere, and a great hook to challenge fluoridation in your own community.
Good luck Aisling! Go Irish!

It needed something very special to break through
the “Dublin Wall” that has protected the forced fluoridation of Ireland’s water
supplies since 1963. A practice propped up by government propaganda and media
acquiescence. Many have tried. Robert Pocock led a valiant battle before he
passed away. A group called Dentists Opposed to Fluoridation led by Don McCaulie
tried but they were outgunned by the dental establishment. Green MP (and former
mayor of Dublin) John Gormley wrote a scathing report but his committee never
released it. Declan Waugh, an environmental scientist, has recently published
reams of paper documenting the dangers of fluoridation but once again has been
treated with disdain and denial by the government’s “Dublin Wall.” Fluoridation,
it would seem, must go on in Ireland for some unexplained
reason.

But then there were two strikes and they came from
the same source. A schoolteacher who persuaded her class to study the issue, and
they did — and they did more: they formed the group Kids Against Fluoride. A
very creative group that sports a blue glove with an anti-fluoride sign on the
palm. By holding their hands up, singly or en masse, they get the message
across, “It’s time to stop fluoridation.” The same schoolteacher also blessed
Ireland with a 24 year old daughter named Aisling Fitzgibbon. Like Lady Godiva,
this “Girl Against Fluoride” has taken off her clothes to reveal the truth. And
like the character in Hans Christian Anderson has revealed that it is not her
that has no clothes on but the “Emperor of Fluoridation”–the Ministry of Health
itself. She is persuading many other young women and even legislators to do the
same – and memorializing the naked truth in a calendar.

Aisling not only has an eye for the kind of
creative approaches that can capture the imagination of the public, but she is
very well-informed on the in’s and out’s of the fluoridation issue. She is very
bright and articulate and more than held her own on national radio against the
most slippery of Irish propagandists for fluoridation, Dr. Joe
Mullen.

With the new Israeli Minister of Health announcing
an end to mandatory fluoridation in Israel, surely Ireland must be next. If it
is, the Irish people will have to thank Aisling Fitzgibbon and her mother for
their energy and creativity in this matter. The Dublin wall is coming
down.